Box closing tool



`Iam. 23, 1940. A. L. ROSENMUND Box CLOSING TooL Filed March 16, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 23, 1940.

A. L ROSENMUND BOX CLOSING TOOL Filed March 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. /frea' L. Rosenmund ww( @www A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Stapling MachinesCo.,

Delaware a corporation of Application March 16, 1938, Serial No. 196,161

10 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a tool for closing wirebound boxes. ,l

It is an object of the invention to provide a tool which willeiliciently and rapidly effect a closure of loop ends of box-bindingwires.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool which will notunduly strain the wire during a closing operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool which willeffect an eiiicientr closure without damaging either the contents or thecontainer. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool of thecharacter described which will automatically draw or force the lid orcover of the box into closed position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the illustrative tool, with the parts innormal position to start a box closing operation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partially sectioned, showing the position ofthe parts after the box lid or cover has been forced down to closedposition and the U-shaped fastener on the lid or cover has been bentdown against the front side of the box.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation viewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the means for releasably holdingthe parts in the normal position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof a wirebound box showing the top sectionpartially closed and in position to be operated upon by the tool of thisinvention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a corner of the box of Fig. 5,showing the tool at the start of a closing operation.

Fig. '7 is a similar side elevation after the tool has contacted the topfastener, forced the top section down, and bent the top fastener downtoward the face of the front section of the box.

Fig. 8 is a similar side elevation after the tool has been swung down tobend the front-section fastener over the top-section fastener to effecta hooking engagement between the two fasteners and secure the topsection in closed position.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the corner of the box showing how theclosure may be pressed toward the box by the steel ferrule on the handleof the tool.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the box corner showing the finishedclosure.

As conducive .to a better understanding of this Lnvention, it should benoted that in wirebound (Cl. 14o- 123) boxes of the type shown in Fig. 5the lid or cover section is hingedly connected to the rear section bythe binding wires and may be raised or lowered like the lid of a trunk.The lid or cover section is secured in closed position by hooking thewire loop fasteners on the front section through the wire loop fastenerson the cover section as shown in Fig. 10.

When the box is used for the'shipment of commodities such as fruits orvegetables, which have a tendency to settle during storage or transit,it is the practice to overload the box initially so that when thecommodity settles, the box will still be substantially full. Greatdiillculty has been encounered in closing the lid of such an overloadedbox prior to hooking the loop fasteners together. In some instances apower press has been used. In other instances the operator has beenobliged to press the lid down by hand or with his knee and hold it downwhile hooking the loop fasteners together.

The tool of this invention is intended to perform the hooking operationand at the same time force down the lid of the box, thus reducing thetime and labor required to-close the box and contributing to a uniformlytight closure.

Referring to Fig. 1, a head I supports the several elements of the tool.Extending downwardly from the head I is a round shank 2 terminating in afiat reduced portion 3 provided with a hook 4. Mounted to slidevertically in a lateral recess 5 in shank 2 is a rod 6, on the lowerextremity of which is formed a notch I shaped substantially like aninverted U. The upper end of rod 6 is fixed to a collar 8 whichsurrounds shank 2 and isslidable thereon.

Collar 8 and rod 6 are moved up and down on shank 2 by a lever arm IIhaving an angled flat portion I2 pivoted to head I at I3 and pivotallyconnected at its extremity I5 to a link I4, the other end of which ispivoted at II to an ear I6 on collar 8. As shown more clearly in Fig, 3,lever arm 'II is provided with'a handle I8, preferably of wood, held inposition on lever arm II by a steel ferrule I 9. 'I'his portion of leverarm II, carrying the handle I8 and steel ferrule I9, is bent to projectto. the right of and at a right angle to lever arm II.

Referring to Figs. -1, 3, and 4, and particularly to Fig. 4, there isshown an automatic locking device for holding the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 1, i. e., with the rod 6 in the raised position thereshown.

The locking device comprises a pin 2|! having a rounded head 2!reciproeally mounted in a bore CFI 23 in head I. vA spring 24 housed inbore 23 between head 2I and a shoulder 25 holds pin 20 normally in anextended position with its rounded head 2I protruding beyond the surfaceof head I of the tool. Pin and its rounded head 2| may be adjusted inthe bore 23 by a nut 26 threaded on pin 20. g

Upon the up stroke of collar 8, pin 2li enters a recess in a latch 21secured to collar 8 by screws 28. The upper extremity of latch 21 isprovided with a beveled surface 29' to contact head 2I and force it intothe bore 23 until the recess 30 is opposite head 2l, at which time thespring 24 will force head 2l into recess 30 and hold collar B and rod 6in raised position until lever arm Il is operated to release the lockingdevice.

'I'he tool is operated in the following manner:

In Fig. 5 is shown a box 3| bound with wires 32 provided with fasteners33 and 35 on their respective ends. Fastener 33 on top section 34A iswider than fastener on front section 36', as shown in Fig. 10, so thatfastener 33 may be readily placed over fastener 35. v

In Fig. 5 the top section 34 is in position for closing by the tool ofythis invention. In this position, the fastener 35 on the front sectionextends up to or through the fastener 33 on the top section.

Referring to Fig. 6, hook 4 of shank 2 is hooked under fastener 35 offront section 36. The handle end of lever arm Il yis then moved upwardlyto the position shown in Fig. '7. This movement of arm II, actingthrough link I4, forces collar 8 and rod 6 downward. Downward movementof rod 6- oauses notch 1 at the lower end of rod 6 to engage fastener 33of top section 34 and force top section 34 down into contact with sidesection 36 and at the same time bend fastener 33 down tightly over theedge of top section 34, as shown in Fig. '7. From this position the toolis swung outwardly from the box and downwardly to the position shown inFig. 8, thus hooking fastener 35 around the bight of fastener 33 withenough tension to hold top section 34 in closed position and to secureinterengagement of fasteners 33 and 35.

The tool is readily disengage by raising handle I8 slightly upwardtoward the closure so that hook 4 disengages fastener 35. Fasteners 33and 35 may be positioned against the face of front section 36 by usingthe steel ferrule I9 as a hammer, as shown in Fig. 9, or by simplypushing the fasteners toward the face of the front section with a thumbor finger.

The term loop-fastener as used in the claims is intended' to include theU-shaped type of fastener shown at 33 and 35 of the drawings.

I claim:

1. A tool for closing the lid of a wirebound box having loop fastenerson the front and lid sections respectively, comprising a hooked memberto engage one loop fastener, a notched member to engage the other loopfastener, and means to cause relative movement between said members todraw one loop fastener through the other loop fastener.

2. A tool according to claim 1, in which means are provided forreleasably locking said members against relative movement.

3. A tool for closing a box having loop fasteners on adjacent sections,comprising a pair of relatively movable members each adapted to engage aloop fastener, and means to cause relative movement therebetween to drawone loop fastener through the other loop fastener.

4. A tool according to claim 3, in which means are provided forreleasably locking the members against relative movement.

5. A tool according to claim 3, in which one of the relatively movablemembers is slidably mounted on the other member. Y

- 6. A tool for closing the lid of a wlrebound box having loop fastenerson the front and lid sections respectively, comprising a member toengage and hold the loop fastener on the front section and a member toengage and move the loop fastener on the lid section over the loopfastener on the front section.

'7. A tool for closing the lid of a wirebound box having loop fastenerson the front and lid sections respectively, comprising a. member toengage and hold the loop fastener on the front section and'a member toengage and move the loop fastener on the lid section over the loopfastener on the front section and down toward the face of the frontsection.

8. A tool for closing the lid of a wirebound box having loop fastenerson the front and lid sections respectively, comprising a member toengage and hold the loop fastener on the front section and a member toengage and move the loop fastener on the lid section and over the loopfastener on the front section and tension said loop over the edge of thetop section.

9. A tool for closing a box having loop fasteners on adjacent sections,comprising a member to engage and hold one loop fastener anda member toengage and move the other loop fastener over the first loop fastener tointerengage the two fasteners.

10. A tool for closing a box having loop fasteners on adjacent sections,comprising a pair of members relatively movable in parallel planes andeach adapted to engage a loop fastener, and means to cause relativemovement between said members'to draw one loop fastener through theother loop fastener.

ALFRED L. ROSENMUND.

